Garoppolo willing to wait for his turn

Jimmy Garoppolo may not have expected to be drafted by the Patriots. Now that he has, he's ready to learn how to take his game to the next level.

Speaking to the New England media in a conference call late Friday after he was selected - surprisingly - in the second round, Garoppolo said he "couldn't have pictured it any better.''

The former Eastern Illinois quarterback said he is more than willing to sit behind Tom Brady, pick his brains, and learn from Bill Belichick.

"I still have a lot to learn and I know that and I'm excited about it,'' he said.

Brady, he said, was his favorite player growing up. "He was always the guy I emulated my game after,'' said Garoppolo.

Now he'll be up close to Brady, who will turn 37 during training camp.

Garoppolo likens his situation to that of Aaron Rodgers, who sat for three seasons behind a guy named Favre, after being drafted by the Green Bay Packers. Rodgers is now one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in the NFL.

"It's a very similar scenario and it worked out well for Aaron,'' said Garoppolo. "So hopefully it will work out the same way for me.''

Garoppolo said former Patriots linebacker Willie McGinest, who announced his selection, told him to be ready to work. And he likes that. He got to see some of the way the Patriots operate during a visit he had with them.

"They're a very blue collar organization,'' he said. "It seemed like all business and they get to work. That's what I'm excited about. I'm one of those guys. I'm a blue-collar guy and I go to work every day. That's what I'm most excited about and it fits my personality very well, so I think it'sa very good fit.''

And he sounds as if he's ready to get to work tomorrow.

"I'm going to get an opportunity to learn from ... one of the best and also all the good coaches they ahve out there,'' he said. "They have an unbelievable coaching staff. There's a lot for me to learn between now and the beginning of the season and I'm excited about it.''

Garoppolo had an amazing senior year, throwing for over 5,000 yards and 53 touchdowns. He was named the winner of the Walter Payton Award, given to the top FCS player.

The Patriots also have Ryan Mallett on the roster as a back-up quarterback. His contract expires at the end of the 2014 season.

The Patriots did not make a pick in the third round, trading the 93rd slot to Jacksonville for a fourth and a sixth. It will be a busy day for New England Saturday, with three picks in each of the fourth and sixth rounds and one in the seventh.

Here at MaineToday Media we value our readers and are committed to growing our community by encouraging you to add to the discussion. To ensure conscientious dialogue we have implemented a strict no-bullying policy. To participate, you must follow our Terms of Use.

Questions about the article? Add them below and we’ll try to answer them or do a follow-up post as soon as we can. Technical problems?Contact us with an exact description of the problem.

Mike Lowe has covered the New England Patriots since 1999 for the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram and has had a nice view of their emergence as one of the NFL’s premier franchises.
He’s been at the paper since 1982 and has covered everything from a Little League World Series to the Summer Olympics. He is married to Tracie and they have three children and two grandchildren.
Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeLowePPH.